Sunday, September 13, 2009

Mayor Morgan McPherson and challenger Craig Cates are running a close race when it comes to raising money for their campaigns, as are District 6 City Commission incumbent Clayton Lopez and challenger James Marquardt.

Jimmy Weekley has collected more than twice as much as Tom Milone in the District 1 race, while Tom Lavender is pulling slightly ahead of Billy Wardlow in the District 3 race.

The latest campaign finance reports released this week cover the period from July 1 through Aug. 28.

McPherson's $26,749 campaign war chest leads the pack, with 34 people contributing the maximum $500, including familiar local names such as Drs. Bruce Boros and Robin Lockwood, Freddy Varela, Barry Barroso and Matt Babich, as well as businesses such as the Southernmost Hotel, M&M Laundry, Little Conch Academy and Ed Swift's Old Town Key West Development.

Some $500 contributions came from other Florida Keys locales, including the Keys Fitness Center and landscape contractor Luis Gonzalez, both of Marathon; Summerland Key resident Si Stern, who owns The Palms Hotel in Key West; and Monroe County Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro's wife, a Key Colony Beach resident.

Eleven other $500 contributions came from out of the Keys and included Miami consultant Robert Levy, Stuart retiree Brigitte Harris, Tampa CEO Saade Chibani, Michigan investor Susan Kaufman and seven Michigan hoteliers: Dale Rands, Morton Harris, Stuart Kaufman, Craig and Amy Singer and Mandell and Madeleine Berman.

As principal investors in the Southernmost Hotel Collection, the hoteliers have the "second-greatest stake" in Key West, behind only the Spottswood Cos. in the number of hotel rooms they own, McPherson said.

"They were my most ardent supporters for the bed tax and affordable housing," he said, adding they were the only hoteliers to write letters to support his efforts.

In the previous reporting period, only his wife and The Rusty Anchor were among the $500 contributors. The rest came from Miami certified public accountants Edward Sachs, Carlos Farah, Stewart Appelrouth and Coral Gables accountant Farah Appelrouth.

McPherson has spent $15,952, mostly on signs, magnets, T-shirts and his kickoff party at Salute.

Craig Cates is running a close second in fundraising, with $23,135, including $5,505 raised this period. His $500 contributions came from five people this period and 14 the previous period, all but three of them from Key West. Among them were contractor Gary Eisele, real estate agents Suzanne Moore and John Behmke, as well as The Gardens Hotel, and the Horan, Wallace & Higgins law firm.

His $500 out-of-town contributions came from South Carolina business owner Henry Holliday, Maryland artist Henry Nicowski, and Oceanside Masonry of Jupiter.

As with McPherson, Cates said his out-of-town donors have vested interests in Key West.

"Most ... have a house in Key West and are very concerned for the welfare of Key West," he said. "They are certainly affected by our government and it is fair they also help elect the candidate they prefer."

Cates, however, advocates spending limits.

"Campaigns are about votes, not money. Money is important in a campaign only because it buys the marketing and advertising tools that help spread my campaign message to the voters," he said. "It is very time-consuming raising money, and I think they should have a cap on what can be spent."

Cates has spent $19,997 on campaign supplies and his kickoff party at Square One.

Mike Mongo raised $1,050 this period and loaned himself $2,600. He has spent $932, mostly on the $600 qualifying fee. Mongo said he does not feel hampered by his "tight-ship" campaign financing.

"Barack Obama credits grass-roots support for his successful presidential campaign," Mongo said. "That's our strength also. I guess this campaign's strong Key West support could be called seagrass-roots."

Sloan Bashinsky loaned himself $5,000 this period. He has spent $6,130, mostly on ads and T-shirts.

DISTRICT 1

Jimmy Weekley raised $7,690 this period, including five $500 donations from Carla Curtis, retirees Dennis Beaver, John Padget, Robert Taft, and Chill Towels owner Allen Wimer. In a previous report, he received $500 from famous musician Jimmy Buffett and sculptor J. Seward Johnson.

Weekley has spent $8,828, mostly on campaign supplies and his Web site.

Tom Milone raised $162 this period and loaned himself $2,500. Donations came from locals Jim Crane and George Halloran. He has spent $3,989, mostly on newspaper ads.

DISTRICT 3

Billy Wardlow raised $1,350 this period, including $500 from Kino's Sandals and various amounts from Gregory Barroso Enterprises and two Key West landlords. He has spent $594, mostly on signs.

Tom Lavender raised $735 this period, including $500 from an Iowa property investor. All six of his other contributions are from out of state. He has spent $1,578 on campaign supplies.

DISTRICT 6

Clayton Lopez raised $4,994, including $100 from himself and seven $500 contributions and in-kind services from community leaders such as Shirley Freeman, Barry Barroso Jr., Ben McPherson, The Gardens Hotel, Southernmost Realty, and Ed Swift's two companies, HTM real estate and Old Town Key West Development Co. As he did for McPherson, Si Stern gave $500.

Lopez has spent $4,051, mostly on campaign signs.

James Marquardt raised $1,599 this period, including $100 from the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservancy. In previous reports, contributions included $500 from Key West retiree Paul Aselin and $50 from Henry Woods. He has spent $4,760, some of it on his campaign kickoff at La Te Da.

Campaign finance reports were due Sept. 4, which netted Mongo a $50 fine for filing his on Tuesday. He said he had a previous commitment assisting schoolchildren on Friday, as well as his campaign kickoff party at Salute.

"Fifty dollars of my personal monies to satisfy helping kids and campaigning for mayor of Key West is to me acceptable," he said.

The next reports are due on Friday and Oct. 2, then post-election or runoff election reports are due on Oct. 16, Oct. 30 and Nov. 19.

Political consultant Brooks White is making campaign finance reports available to the public at http://www.WinTuesday.com, though some reports are missing.

csmith@keysnews.com